Black Bat Flower (10 Seeds)

$6.00

10 Black Bat FlowerTacca Chantrieri Cat's Whiskers Seeds.

The Black bat flower, Tacca chantrieri, is a species of flowering plant in the yam family Dioscoreaceae. Tacca chantrieri is an unusual plant in that it has black flowers. These flowers are somewhat bat-shaped, are up to 12 inches across, and have long 'whiskers' that can grow up to 28 inches.

Environment:Most of these oddities thrive on the moist soils of the forest floor and are not tolerant of cool temperatures, drying out, or wet roots. These frost-tender plants can be grown outdoors in tropics and subtropics, but elsewhere require the protection of a greenhouse. They need a humid atmosphere, some shade and a peaty soil.

The plants thrive in 70-80% shade with good air circulation. They don't like too much heat or air that is too dry

Soil:The soil is one of the most important things for success with Taccas. The mixture needs to be light, very porous, something that drains well. Use something like: 60% Canadian peat moss, 30% perlite, 10% vermiculite. The soil should be a little bit acid, so use something like a "Miracid" occasionally as a fertilizer

Sowing:Sow seeds as soon as possible. Soak the seeds 24 hours in warm water (you can put the water in a thermos to keep it warm) Sow 1.5mm (1/16in) deep in trays or pots containing good moist seed compost and seal the container inside a polythene bag or cover with a plastic dome to keep moisture in. Place in a propagator, on a heating mat or warm place to maintain an optimum temperature of 27-29°C (80-85°F). It is essential that the soil temperature is high and kept steady.

Germination can take from 1-9 months so be patient. Don't toss out your seed beds thinking they won't germinate!

Tacca's are known for damping off. Remember to use a good seed starting mix that has been treated for damp-off.

Flowering: Flowering seems to begin when the plants have produced 2-3 full-size leaves. Each plant produces at least 6 and up to 12 flower stems during the warm months of the year. The leathery capsules (about 1.5" long) require up to a year to ripen.